EFFECT OF CHAIN LENGTH OF OXYETHYLENE GROUP ON PARTICLE SIZE AND ABSORPTION SPECTRA OF SILVER NANOPARTICLES PREPARED IN NON-IONIC WATER-IN-OIL MICRO EMULSIONS

Abstract
The formation of silver nanoparticles by the method of reduction of silver ions by sodium borohydride in non-ionic water-in-oil microemulsion was investigated as a function of structure of the surfactant. Three types of non-ionic surfactants were selected differing in the chain length of the oxyethylene groups for example: NP-5, NP-9 and NP-11. The silver nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Visible Absorption Spectroscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy. TEM. The results of this study showed that the panicle size is relatively smaller incase of NP-9 while for NP-5 and NP-11 the sizes are comparable. This obsevation is explained on the basis of structure of the droplets and the influence of Intermicellar exchange on nucleation and growth of particles.